Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A Message of Ancient Days
Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 5, Lesson 3: Starting Cities (pp. 135-141)
The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Culture Cities and civilizations developed because of stable food supplies, specialization of labor, an organized system of government, social classes, and culture.
- Review the features of cities with students. Compare the complexity, size, and level of organization with Neolithic farming villages. Be sure students understand that leaders are vital to organize a large, complex system like a city.
- Outline and discuss with students the characteristics of a civilization. Be sure students understand that all characteristics are necessary for a civilization. Use the map on page 141 to point out where some other early civilizations began and ask why river valleys might be so important.
Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.
Check for Understanding
- Have students write a paragraph explaining why hunter-gatherer groups were not a civilization.
- Have students create a mural showing the characteristics of a civilization.
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